The present invention is directed to a self-seating occiput wedge system for applying a therapeutic traction force to the occipital areas on a patent""s head and neck, and to a cervical traction device utilizing the occiput wedge system.
Traction is widely used to relieve pressure on inflamed or enlarged nerves. While traction is applicable to any part of the body, cervical and lumbar or spinal traction are the most common. When correctly performed, spinal traction can cause distraction or separation of the vertebral bodies, a combination of distraction and gliding of the facet joints, tensing of the ligamentous structures of the spinal segment, widening of the intervertebral foramen, straightening of spinal curvature and stretching of the spinal musculature. Depending on the disorder being treated, the traction component of physical therapy may require multiple sessions per week for a prolonged period of time.
U.S. Pat. No. RE 32,791 (Saunders) discloses a cervical traction device that includes a pair of v-shaped adjustable arms that grip the rear area of the patients head approximate the occipital bone and mastoid processes. The lateral separation between the v-shaped arms is adjustable to fit various size patients. The v-shaped arms grip the rear of the patient""s head while leaving the mouth and jaw of the patient unrestricted. The cervical traction device of RE 32,791 is utilized on a conventional traction table, presumably under the care of a physician or a physical therapist. It is the physical therapist or other healthcare provider that adjusts the lateral separation of the v-shaped arms to fit the patient and correctly positions the patient relative to the cervical traction device.
With the advent of portable and in-home traction devices, patients perform traction therapy without the direct supervision of a healthcare provider. A low cost portable cervical traction device powered by a pneumatic cylinder that utilizing v-shaped adjustable arms generally disclosed in RE 32,791 is disclosed in WO 96/14810 (Saunders). The lateral position of the v-shaped neck supports is adjusted by the patient by turning left and right knobs coupled to a threaded shaft.
For portable or in-home traction devices to be safe and effective, the patient must properly adjust the lateral separation of the v-shaped neck supports and properly position his/her body relative to the cervical traction device. Moreover, since the shape of the occipital region varies from patient to patient, even properly adjusted neck supports can create uncomfortable locations of high pressure on the patients occipital region. Additionally, the lateral adjustment mechanism for the v-shaped neck supports adds considerable costs to the overall traction device. Consequently, what is needed is a self-seating occiput wedge system for cervical traction devices that also eliminates the cost of a mechanism for adjusting the lateral separation between the occiput wedges.
The present invention is directed to a self-seating occiput wedge system for applying a therapeutic traction force to the occipital areas on a patent""s head. Since the size and shape of the occipital region of patients can vary considerably, the occiput wedges rotate independently to present occipital regions of various shapes with the largest available engaging surface, thereby increasing comfort and therapeutic effectiveness. The present occiput wedge system may be combined or used with various cervical traction devices.
The self-seating occiput wedge system is configured to apply a therapeutic traction force to occipital areas on a patient""s head in the cervical traction device. The cervical traction device includes a carriage slidable along a portion of a supporting track parallel to a longitudinal axis and a traction force generator engagable with the carriage. The self-seating occiput wedge system includes a pair of upstanding occiput wedges rotatably mounted generally perpendicular to the carriage. The occiput wedges define opposing engaging surfaces arranged to engage with the occipital areas of the patient""s head. End stops define a range of rotation about an axis of rotation for each of the occiput wedges. The range of rotation is typically about 20 degrees. In alternate embodiments, the range of rotation may be about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees.
In one embodiment, each of the occiput wedges rotate independently. In an alternate embodiment, the rotation of the occiput wedges may be mechanically coupled.
The engaging surfaces typically have a concave contour. The engaging surfaces may be asymmetrical with respect to the axis of rotation. The engaging surfaces have a radius of curvature in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of about 10.85 centimeters (4.27 inches). The engaging surfaces have a radius of curvature in a plane containing the axis of rotation of about 6.66 centimeter (2.62 inches). The occiput wedge system may optionally include a head support pad.
The present invention is also directed to a cervical traction device including the present self-seating occiput wedge system. The cervical traction device may be a stand-alone device with its own traction force generator or an accessory that can be used with a traction table and the traction force generator associated with the table.
The cervical traction device typically includes a carriage slidable along a portion of a supporting track parallel to a longitudinal axis. A traction force generator moves the carriage along the supporting track. The supporting track and carriage may be portions of a traction table, such as the segmented traction table illustrated herein. The traction force generator may be a pneumatic or a hydraulic cylinder, an electric motor, a spring-loaded device, or the like. In one embodiment, the traction force generator comprises a pneumatic cylinder attached to a support structure for moving the carriage relative to the support structure when in a pressurized state and a hand pump fluidly connected to the pneumatic cylinder for injecting pressurized air into the pneumatic cylinder.